Cadet death investigation to conclude next week

A fact-finding committee is expected to conclude its investigation into the suspicious death of a cadet next week.

“We have already interviewed 40 witnesses including teachers and students of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School [AFAPS],” said committee chairman ACM Chawarat Marungruang on Thursday.

Supreme Commander General Thanchaiyan Srisuwan on November 23 assigned Chawarat to head the investigation after the death of Phakhapong “Meay” Tanyakan captured national attention.

Last month, Phakhapong’s family came forward to demand a transparent probe into the death of Phakhapong, a first-year student, whose body showed signs of blunt force trauma. His organs were also removed in the first autopsy at the military-run Phramongkutklao Hospital.

There are concerns that Phakhapong might have been killed by senior students administering punishment, and not by cardiac arrest as the academy has claimed.

Chawarat said on Thursday that his committee would chronicle what happened before Phakhapong’s death based on the testimony they had heard.

“We expect to make a conclusion by next week,” he said.

He added that his committee had not seen the results of scientific tests conducted by Phramongkutklao Hospital and the Central Institute of Forensic Science.